Long Lost Home
by meg198
Summary: All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her. Modern War AU. Rated M.
1. 1: The Flashbacks Hit Him Like Knives

**Hello everyone! Welcome to my new series on this channel! I am so excited to share this one with you guys because it's been a while coming. Now that I have a bit of a schedule set in place and I have time to write, I will be able to be more consistent in uploads and be able to keep up with another story for you guys. While I won't have a set in stone upload schedule, there will be chapters on a regular basis. I hope you guys enjoy it! I will this story will definitely be rated M for violence and sex. So if that's not your cup of tea, go check out my other stories! So first will be the summary of the story as always, then I'll get right into it! I do not own Avatar or its characters but this story is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 1: The Flashbacks Hit Him Like Knives.**

The flashbacks came back at him like knives.

 _Zuko hid behind the truck, fully geared into his uniform he wore like armor and the gun in his hand. He could hear the sound of the gunshots hitting feet away from where he stood. He heard the yells of his Sergeant barking orders of where to fire and where to retreat._

 _He fired when he saw an opening. He would hide when there wasn't. He felt like a sitting duck, waiting to be killed. They were outnumbered. Ambushed. But there was nothing more he could do. He just hoped it would be over._

 _It felt as if the world was caving in underneath him. Like he was being swallowed whole. The ringing in his ears could not distract him from the words shouted in English and some in the Taliban's native language, to which he could not understand. All he knew was the words sounded like cries of death. He wished it to be over._

 _Zuko heard his name over the gun fire and looked left, to see his comrade running towards him. "Chief wants us parked up that building to shot from below. Longshot's running low on ammo" Jet told him. He nodded, his brain half focused on the chaos around him._

 _Jet moved to let him go first, covering his back. They waited for their signal to draw fire away from them as much as possible. The building was probably 150 yards away, completely open. But their brains were turned off to the danger, they were numb to the risk. All that mattered was staying alive._

 _They heard their Sergeant yell the code word and they ran for their lives, flying bullets at their backs. They could practically feel the wind from the bullets shooting by their ears._

 _Zuko was almost there. He could practically touch the outside of the door._

 _But then the pain began._

 _The last things he saw Jet's face looking down at him, and moving him to the building._

 _The world went black._

He still saw it sometimes. The way Jet looked down at him in fear. The bullets that seemed to miss him by inches.

The next time he woke up he was in the hospital. The doctors telling him that he was shot in the back and he almost didn't make it. After that, Chief sent him home on leave, told him to go see his family. 4 weeks, he said. But on the plane ride home, the flashbacks kept coming. He heard a foreign language that he didn't recognize and reached for his gun that wasn't there. He heard the bullets from a video game and ducked.

The flashbacks hit him like knives.

Zuko remembered a time that was simpler, when being a solider and fighting in a war was a game he played in his backyard as a child. But he would never regret his choice to join the forces. His country meant everything to him and he was going to protect it.

But there were always things he missed. The things he looked forward to coming back to. The things he strived to protect. His Uncle. The man who raised him since his mother left and his father was an abusive drunk. His baby sister. He still called her that, even though she was 20 with a life of her own. He had struggled growing up, but his life back home was peaceful and welcoming, opposed to what he was coming from.

He hadn't been home in 2 years. When he stepped off the plane, he breathed in the smell of what felt like fresh air for the first time. Home had that effect on him. It wasn't long before he was greeted by his Uncle, giving him a warm hug and holding an even warmer travel mug of his favorite tea. Zuko couldn't help but roll his eyes, then took the tea graciously.

Uncle couldn't keep the smile off his face, "My boy is home" he said. To which, Zuko smiled and rolled his eyes again at his Uncle's antics. But he said no more for he had missed them so much.

The car ride home was mostly peacefully silent, for there was not much to say. Iroh had received the call a few weeks ago, telling him that his son was hurt and may not survive. The call still haunted him. But he was happy to have his son home, so no words were needed.

When Zuko opened the door, it smelled even more like home then the dirty airport. He could smell dinner cooking in the oven and the fire going in the fireplace. He heard running down the stairs and saw his little nephew making his way down the stairs. Zuko smiled and opened his arms to the little boy.

But the boy simply looked at him, confused. "Mom?" he asked. Azula ran down the stairs, following her son. Zuko slowly dropped his arms, taking another look at the boy. He had gotten so much bigger in the time that Zuko was away.

And he didn't remember him.

"Kai, this is your Uncle Zuko. Remember him?" Azula asked, hopeful. But Kai shook his head. Azula sighed and looked at her older brother, apologetic. But Zuko shook his head, understanding. "Hi Kai… I'm your Uncle Zuko" he knelt down to his level.

Kai smiled a toothy grin at him, "Hi" he told him, slightly shy. Zuko smiled back.

As strange as it was to be back home, Zuko felt a sense of calm wash over him as he ate dinner with his family for the first time in many years. He felt like he had everything he needed.

 **Ta-daa! Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of this story! Some final notes to touch on, Zuko does not have his scar. Azula isn't evil, obviously. And we will see Katara's life in the next chapter! Let me know what you guys think of this story in a review! I think it's kinda different from a lot of stories out there but I wanted to try something fresh and new with these characters! Until next time!**


	2. 2: Falling Asleep on the Job?

**Hello everyone! I am back already with Chapter 2 of Long Lost Home! I hope that you guys enjoyed the last chapter and are excited for this story! I'm not sure how long this story is gonna run just yet. But when I have an idea I will let you guys know! As always I do not own Avatar or its characters. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 2: Falling Asleep on the Job?**

"Falling asleep on the job?"

Katara looked up at her friend Suki, and shook her head a little, even though she knew she was. "I was up late working on a lab report". Suki chuckled, "Come on, you know Stu will kill us if we're caught sleeping on the job. Come help me sort this silverware" Katara nodded and followed her.

Rex's Diner.

Katara hated the place. It smelled like grease and old lettuce and she was forced to wear a skimpy dress and roller skates while she was waitressing. But she didn't have any other choice. She didn't have a car and it was the closest thing to her apartment and her school.

It was the hot spot for college students. The same students she went to school with. She wasn't sure if it was more embarrassing when the guys from her class would wolf whistle at her as she wheeled past or when the preppy girls who only got into the school with Daddy's money laughed at her as she was busting tables. It took everything in her to roll away and not cause a scene.

Katara had done everything she possibly could have to get into this college. Ever since she was a little girl, she wanted to help people. Her mom inspired that will in her to help. So when Katara was old enough, she applied to the California Medical Institute. It was far from her home of Maine but that's how she wanted it. All she wanted to do was get away from the small town she grew up in because around every corner was the same people and the same places and each of them had a bad memory behind them.

Her brother hated her leaving, because growing up, they only had each other. He was her only reason to stay, which is why 3 months after she left, he joined her. It was the perfect time for a new start for both of them, which is exactly what they got.

Katara was constantly up to her neck with homework or school bills. She was doing it entirely on her own. But she needed to get away. But it came with it lack of sleep and debt up to her eyeballs. She hoped it would all be worth it in the end.

Katara and Suki turned to the sound of shattering plates. It was the new girl, Jin. She was very quiet and extremely shy. Katara could see the embarrassment on her face as the plates hit the floor. They all waited with bated breath for Stu to come out and see what had happened.

Stu walked from the kitchen, looked from the plates to Jin, "That's coming out of your paycheck!" he yelled at her, "Clean it!". Jin nodded quickly and bent over to pick up the pieces, "Yes sir" she told him, quietly. Stu walked past her, smacking her ass on the way. It wasn't hard to see the embarrassment again register on her face.

Katara walked over to the girl and helped her pick up the bigger pieces and sweep the rest. Jin thanked her, saying she didn't have to help, that she was clumsy. But Katara didn't listen, instead shaking her head and telling the girl it wasn't a big deal. She knew the wrath of Stu, having been on the other side. When Katara first started working here, the manager had tried hitting on her several times and grabbed her ass more than once. But as soon as he realized Katara was not in the least bit interested, he moved on.

It felt like days before it was finally time for her to clock out. Her shifts were always 10+ hours and all she wanted was to leave from the moment she walked in the door. Suki came up next to her, putting on her coat to leave. It was finally starting to get chilly in sunny California and it made Katara miss home just a little more. "Why don't you come out with me and some friends tomorrow night?" Suki asked.

Katara looked at her skeptical. She was never one to party or go out much. She didn't have time with her studies, so her first inclination was to pass. But Suki saw the look on her face and shook her head, "You deserve a night out. You work so hard. You deserve it" she told Katara. Katara sighed and couldn't help but agree. She couldn't remember the last time she did something for her. She finally nodded, "Fine, I'll go, but I'm forcing Sokka to come with" Suki squealed excitedly at this and nodded. Katara rolled her eyes and promised to see her tomorrow, before she began on the trek back to her apartment.

Katara walked into her apartment and it was almost as dingy as the place she worked. It was cramped and there was stains on the walls from god knows what. She hated the place, but she didn't have a choice because it was cheap, the landlord was nice enough and it was walking distance to school and work. She hoped soon she would be able to afford a car in order to move somewhere nicer, but she made do for now.

Sokka looked up from what he was doing to look at her as she came in, "Hey baby sis, how was hell?" he asked her as he always did after she came from work. She just shook her head, partly from exhaustion and also from the fact that she couldn't form in into words. Sokka just chuckled and looked back at the paper in front of him.

"Paper from work?" Katara asked, to which he nodded his head. Sokka worked as a car mechanic at the place next to their apartment. It wasn't awful work and it payed decent money. Sometimes he even enjoyed his job, but even still it had its downfalls.

"We're going out with some friends tomorrow night for drinks" Katara told her brother. He replied excited, "Awesome, it's about time we do something actually fun instead of working".

Katara rolled her eyes and moved to her bedroom. She plopped into her bed and sighed. As much as she struggled, she felt content where she was. Of course there was things she wanted to change but it was all going to be worth it once she got her degree. She had family and friends by her side and food somehow got on the table. One day, she would have everything she wanted and she was working hard to make it so.

It would all be worth it soon.

 **Ta-Daaa! There's Katara's life! Next chapter, our two will meet for the first time! How are you guys liking the story so far? Leave me your thoughts in a review! So now I will be answering reviews for this story! So onto the reviews!**

 **embd: This shows how Katara fits into the story! I hope you liked it! Next chapter, we'll see how they meet! Thanks for reading!**

 **stordec23: I'm glad! Keep reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	3. 3: You almost ready?

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 3 of Long Lost Home! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! This story has been really fun to write and I am enjoying writing it for all of you! What do you guys think of it so far? As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 3: You almost ready?**

"You almost ready?"

Sokka had been complaining for the past 30 minutes that it was taking her too long to get ready. Katara rolled her eyes for the tenth time and groaned, "5 more minutes! We're not even late!" she told him. Sokka groaned, he knew they weren't late. He was just excited to see Suki again so he wanted to get moving.

Katara put the finishing touches on her makeup and looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing an off the shoulder navy dress that flared slightly at her hips, making her waist look tiny. She had straightened, then slightly curled her hair to give it a slight wave and a small amount of makeup. She grabbed her silver clutch and sliver shoes and walked out of the bathroom. Sokka stood and groaned, "About time, the Uber is waiting" but Katara just glared back.

Zuko put on his jacket and his shoes. It had been a year and a half since he went out and had a drink. Their officer didn't let them drink often, usually only once in a blue moon and he picked up the habit of not drinking. But since he was home, he figured why not. It was something for him to do. Azula had already gone out with her friends to a pub and Iroh was watching Kai. So, he decided to head to a bar and have a few drinks of his own.

He hitched a cab downtown to a small bar. As soon as he walked in the place smelled like grime and old feet. It made him sick to his stomach, but he tried to ignore it for alcohol was calling his name. He walked to the bar and ordered himself a beer. He looked around at the people in the bar and it was all older motorcycle guys, which he didn't mind because they would leave him alone. If a girl had come up to him, he wasn't sure he would know what to say. It had been a long time since he had to talk to a girl other than a fellow solider, but even than he had absolutely no interest in anything more than a comrade.

A loud bang practically jolted Zuko from his chair. He looked up to see two of the old men fighting. Zuko rolled his eyes and turned away but one thing caught his attention, "At least I'm not one of those baby killers like you are!"

This caused the other man to throw a punch and it took everything in Zuko not to jump in. Instead he stood and payed for his tab and walked out. It took everything in him not to scream at the man. That man is a hero for defending his country, whether it was Vietnam or Iraq. He didn't deserve to be seen as a baby killer. Is that what people would see him as one day? Nothing more than killing innocents even when he had never killed an innocent person in his life? He would never stand for it. But would people assume one day?

Zuko just shook his head. He was too sober for this. He walked to the next bar over, a small pub and walked inside.

Katara and Sokka walked in the small pub and looked around for their friends. They found them at a small table in the corner and walked over. When Suki saw them, she smiled excited, "Hey guys!" she greeted them, which caused everyone to look over. Everyone sent them a smile and wave.

Katara sat and looked around at her group of friends. Next to Suki was Tylee. Tylee was bubbly and energetic and you could never get her to stop talking. She had worked in the circus until she was 17 when she ran away from her family. Her father was borderline abusive and forced her to do outrageous stunts that were extremely dangerous. It took her little sister getting very hurt and to take her little sister and leave. That was 5 years ago now and she had her own apartment and a good job in the city.

Next to Tylee was Mai. She was the only one of the group that Katara just couldn't seem to get along with. She was extremely moody and always had a bad attitude. From what Katara knew she had a hard home life but all of them did. She was constantly pissed about something or she had absolutely no emotion at all. She didn't seem to care about anything and it made her mad.

Next to Mai was Azula. She didn't know a lot about Azula either, not because she wasn't nice, but because she had a son to take care of, so she didn't get out with them much. Katara didn't get out much either because if school so she didn't get to talk to her much. But she seemed like a nice enough person and she had met her son before and he was a sweet kid.

Then she had sat next to Toph. Toph was her best friend besides Suki. She was unbelievably blunt but sometimes it was exactly what Katara needed to hear. If it weren't for Toph, Katara never would have gotten out of a really bad relationship that was causing her more pain then it was worth. An accident as a child made her blind in one eye but it didn't bother her much and she liked to not talk about it. She was still as badass as the rest of the policemen at work.

After talking for a while, Katara and Toph headed to the bar to grab another round of drinks for the table. Katara smiled cutely at the bartender and ordered their drinks, while Toph rolled her eyes at her slight flirting. They heard the jingle of someone new coming to the bar behind them. Toph turned and gasped, "Is it my eye or is that Aang?" she asked. Katara turned to look when she heard the name and gasped.

Aang. Her ex boyfriend.

"What do I do?!" Katara exclaimed, trying to hide behind Toph. Toph took 2 seconds to think then looked around the bar, "Go talk to that guy over there, flirt with him" she said. Katara quickly shook her head, "I can't do that!" but Toph quickly exclaimed back, "Would you rather talk to him or Aang?!"

Katara sighed and turned back to the man. After taking a breath for confidence, she walked over and sat at the chair next to him. She went to open her mouth, but all that came out was

"I need your help"

 **Ta-Daa! That's it for this chapter! What did you guys think? Did you enjoy? We will see Katara and Zuko interact next chapter! So onto the reviews!**

 **stordec23: I'm glad you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!**

 **embd: Yeah Stu is a sleezebag. This role is to show how awful Katara's job actually is. And yeah I wouldn't want to rollerskate for 10 hours! Haha thanks for reading!**

 **Durrr: I'm glad you enjoy my writing! Thank you for reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	4. 4: I need your help

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 4 of Long Lost Home! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this series! This series has been a lot of fun to write and a change up from my other two stories! I'm not gonna talk long because I know this is an exciting chapter! As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 4: I need your help.**

"I need your help"

Zuko turned to the girl's voice and looked at her a little confused, "Okay". The girl then began to explain, "My ex boyfriend just walked in and I don't want to talk to him. So, I came up here to talk to you and act like I'm flirting with you. But I don't want to make you uncomfortable. For all I know you have a girlfriend or a wife. But I really need your help"

Zuko chuckled a little, "You're fine. How about I buy you a drink?" he asked her. Katara nodded, forgetting about the fact she just bought drinks not 5 minutes earlier. Zuko waved down the bartender and ordered her a Tequila Sunrise. Katara's eyes widened a little, "How did you know that was one of my favorites?" she asked him. He smiled and shrugged, "Beginner's luck."

Katara leaned into him, "So…" she began then paused, "I have no idea what I'm doing". Zuko couldn't help but laugh at this. "How about you start by telling me your name?" he asked her chuckling. She smiled, "Katara" and he smiled back, "Zuko".

They looked at each other for a moment, before Katara cleared her throat and looked away. "So umm what do you do for a living?" she asked him. He hesitated for a moment, "I'm in the military" he told her. Sometimes when Zuko told girls he was in the military, they were turned off by that. That's why he wasn't surprised when he saw her eyes open a little wider. He actually kind of liked her, she was cute. So, he felt his heart sink a little when he saw her eyes fill with surprise at his answer.

But he was surprised when she replied, "How noble of you, well thank you for your service". Zuko smiled a little and nodded, "No need to thank me" he told her. Katara leaned in a little more, "What branch are you?" she asked. "Navy Seal" he told her. She nodded a little, "My Uncle was in the military, what made you want to sign up?"

Zuko sighed, "I had a rough home life, for one it was an escape from that. Two, it was something I always wanted to do. Protect my country" he told her. He smiled a little, no one had ever taken an interest in him like she was. She seemed to actually be interested in his life, and she had only come over here to escape her ex-boyfriend.

Zuko looked behind her at the man she pointed out as her ex, "So what's the story with him? Why do you want to avoid him so bad?" he asked. She sighed, looking down, "I don't want to avoid him" she glanced back at him for a moment, "He's a good guy… He really was. He was good to me. Just towards the end" she paused as if unable to put it into words, "I didn't feel it anymore ya know? I wasn't happy. I didn't look forward to coming home to him. Not to mention, he was unbelievably clingy…" she looked down again for a moment then looked back at him, "I wanted to stay friends with him afterwards… But he believes we're meant for each other and I'm going to take him back at some point"

He nodded his understanding, "So you want to avoid him until he realizes that it isn't going to happen? And you came over here to talk to me so he can see you've moved on to other people and he should too" Zuko said. Katara bit her lip, almost in embarrassment, "Yes… I don't want you to think I'm using you. I just – "

But he cut her off, "Well how about to make it up to me, I take you on a date tomorrow night"

It came out of his mouth before he even had time to think about what he said. He had never been so blunt with a girl before and he could see the look of surprise on her face. He also realized there was a good chance she could scoff at him and turn her nose and walk away for him being so blunt. But for some reason, he knew in his heart he had to take a chance on this girl.

Katara gaped at the man across from her for a moment. Did he really just ask her out? It was the last thing she expected. She, selfishly, came up to him just to get away from Aang and he asked her on a date? For a second, she simply looked at him in surprise. But it seemed like her body took over and shook her head yes, "Okay…" she told him. She saw his eyes light up at her reply and echo the surprise in her eyes as well. "Well umm…" she told him, slightly at a loss for words, "Let me give you my number" she told him, taking napkin from the table and a pen from her purse and writing her cell number on the makeshift paper then handing it to him. "Text me tomorrow?" she said, hopeful.

Zuko nodded, immediately, "Absolutely… It's a date". Katara blushed slightly at this and stood, "I'll see you then…" she almost too quickly walked away.

Katara quickly went and sat next to her brother, breathing deep. Sokka looked at her confused, "What happened with that guy?" he asked her, going into full protective brother mode. Katara looked at him, "I'm going on a date tomorrow"

Sokka looked at her in surprise. He knew how her relationship with Aang affected her and for the longest time, she was never looking to start over with someone else. Now here she was, talking to a guy at the bar and going on a date with him the next day. Although Sokka worried in his head, he also knew his sister. She had an uncanny ability to judge people. She knew when people were good or bad and what their intentions were. It was why she got together with Aang. So, he trusted her instinct. He knew she would not let herself get hurt. And if she was wrong, he would kick his ass.

 **Ta-Daaa! Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! What did you think? How do you think the date will go? Leave me a review and let me know! Now onto the reviews!**

 **stordec23: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Guest: Thank you for reading! I don't necessarily see Aang as a bad guy. I think I kind of explained that more in this chapter!**

 **25Carin: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Like I said, Aang is more then just a mean ex. You'll see that later! Thank you!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	5. 5: How do I look?

**Hello everyone! Welcome to part 5 of Long Lost Home! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story so far! Sorry for the wait on this chapter. Finals are upon us and I am head to toe in exams and papers lol but I am back for a new chapter! As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters, but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 5: How do I look?**

"How do I look?"

Katara twirled in front of her brother. She had her hair slightly curled, so it fell in waves at her side. Her makeup was light and she had on a black skater dress with long sleeves. Sokka looked her up and down, "You look fine I guess" he told her.

Katara huffed, "Fine? That's all I get?" she asked him. He shrugged again, "I don't know you're my sister. You always look okay". She groaned, wanting an actual opinion. She whipped out her phone and sent a picture to Suki.

 _Katara: How do I look?_

 _Suki: Damn girl! You look great!_

She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Suki wouldn't lie to her. She quickly texted her reply and waited anxiously for Zuko to arrive.

Zuko fixed his jacket in the mirror. It had been so long since he had been on a date, not just a quick hookup in one of the side towns. This date meant something to him. He wanted it to go well.

He looked himself over once more. He had put on a pair of black slacks, a maroon button up and a dark grey fitted jacket. He ran his head over his smooth head once again. He missed the long hair he had in his youth, but the army made him keep it short. He didn't mind it, but sometimes he missed his hair.

Zuko ran downstairs, seeing his Uncle and nephew sitting in the kitchen. Uncle looked at him and smiled at his appearance, "Where are you headed nephew?" he asked him. Zuko talked as he grabbed his keys and wallet, "I have a date…" he told him, almost shyly. His Uncle smiled, "Well be responsible nephew!" he yelled after the man as he practically ran for the door.

Katara sat anxiously in the living room, tapping her foot anxiously. What if he ditched her? What if he was really kidding? What if this was all a joke? She felt like he was a good guy, but could she be wrong? She glanced at the clock once again, seeing it was 5 minutes to 6.

"Come on!" Zuko yelled at the traffic ahead of him. The traffic in this city was always horrendous but rush hour traffic was even worse. Zuko looked over and saw a flower shop. He pulled off, hoping to get some roses to apologize for his lateness.

It was 10 minutes past and Katara began to get more anxious. "Relax Katara, you know how traffic gets" he told her. She agreed but another part of her was scared. She hadn't put herself out there like this in so long. Could it have been a mistake?

Zuko pulled into the apartment complex, 12 minutes late. He practically ran to the door, hitting the buzzer to be let in. The door opened after a few seconds and he burst through it. He fast walked to her apartment number. After a quick breath to calm himself, he knocked.

Katara heard a knock at the door and practically bolted out of her seat. She walked to the door and took a breath to calm herself. She opened it and looked at him.

Zuko smiled at her, "I'm sorry for being so late. Is there anyway you can forgive my rudeness?" he asked her, handing her the dozen white roses. Katara smiled, "I think you can be forgiven" she took the flowers from his hand, "These are beautiful… I love white roses" she told him. He smiled at her, "I'm glad" mentally patting himself on the back, "Are we ready?" he asked her.

She nodded and grabbed her bag, before following him out, waving to Sokka and closing the door behind her. Zuko opened the door for her, smiling as he did so. Katara smiled, thanking him shyly. He was being the perfect gentleman.

After a moment of driving, her curiosity got the best of her, "So where are we going?" she asked. He smiled and chuckled a little, "Well it's a surprise" he told her, pulling off of the thruway and away from downtown.

Katara frowned, she hated surprises. She didn't like being out of the loop. She looked around where they were headed. They had gone in the opposite direction of downtown so they weren't going to a bar or restaurant in the city. They were headed towards the coast, so were they going to walk the pier? Maybe, that would be romantic, Katara thought.

But Zuko again turned away from the pier and kept driving. Katara frowned, having been wrong again. Now she had no clue. Was he a serial killer or something and he was taking her out to the country to murder her? Probably not.

Zuko finally pulled off onto a long driveway that went uphill. Once he reached the top, he parked. "Close your eyes" he told her. Katara frowned, protesting for a moment, but then she sighed and closed her eyes.

She heard Zuko get out of the car and open her door. He helped her get out and walk to where he wanted her. "Okay… Open them" he told her.

Katara opened her eyes and was in awe of what she saw. They were looking over the entire city of Los Angeles and it was stunning. The sunset was setting over the ocean but the lights of downtown were still glistening as they always did. It was magical.

Katara turned to Zuko, about to thank him for taking her here when she saw him setting up a blanket and picnic he had brought in his truck. She smiled and went over to him. He had brought small finger foods and champagne. She sat down across from him.

"So… what's your family like?" she asked him, thanking him as he passed her a flute of champagne. Zuko sighed, thinking for a moment, "Complicated… My mother left when I was 7… My father was… Not someone you want to meet… Ever since then its just been me, my sister and her son, and my Uncle…" he told her, honestly, "What about you?"

"Well…" she sighed, "My mother passed away when I was young… Ever since then, its been me, my brother and my father against the world" she chuckled, "It was hard leaving my father but he knew what we had to do. We needed to chase our dreams since he never really got to… My father and mother married young and had me and my brother so he never got to go to college… It was what he always wanted to do but he had us… Especially as a single father… So when I told him I got into college here, he was so proud… He didn't even consider telling me to stay"

Zuko nodded, listening. They seemed to talk for hours, until the stars began to come out. Although they couldn't see many from the smog of Los Angeles, a few peaked through on the coast. Zuko pointed out the constellations he could see to Katara, not even realizing he wrapped his arm around her. It just seemed so natural, he did it out of instinct.

The two looked at each other for a moment, their eyes locked in each others. Zuko brushed a piece of hair from her face and leaned in. She met him halfway for a kiss.

The kiss was small and slow but held all the passion they felt for each other. Only the sound of a loud bang set them apart.

They turned to look at what it was to see someone setting off fireworks by the shore. They smiled, as it reflected the fireworks that went off between them. They kissed again with more passion then either realized. It was magical and the start to a new beginning.

 **Ta-Daaa! I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! It took a while to write because I wanted to get it just right. Thanks for reading! Onto the reviews!**

 **agent00A: I'm glad you enjoyed! Keep reading!**

 **25Carin: Happy to see it made you smile! Thanks for reading!**

 **stordec23: Hope it met your expectations!** **?**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	6. 6: Well, how'd it go?

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 6 of Long Lost Home! I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter. It was definitely fun to write and I'm happy to be continuing it again today! As always, I do not own avatar or its characters, but the story is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 6: Well, how'd it go?**

"Well how'd it go?"

"Huh?" Katara said. She was too in a trance to even hear what her brother had said. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face if she tried. Sokka raised an eyebrow at her sisters antics, "How'd it go?" he asked her again.

She smiled, and what she said next is what she had been thinking from the moment his lips had landed on hers.

"I'm going to marry that man"

Katara said it so matter of factly, as if she were stating the obvious. But Sokka sat there with his mouth wide open in shock. "Not any time soon! Listen here little lady!" he went to continue but she had already closed the door to her room, unable to hear him even if he tried.

As much her response surprised him, he also couldn't help but smile. He wanted nothing more then his sister to be happy. And she was exactly that.

Zuko walked in the door and couldn't keep himself from not smiling. His Uncle was sitting on the couch, waiting for him to get him. "Zuko! How was your date nephew?" he asked him, excited. Zuko could tell his Uncle was happy for him. It had been so long since he had been on a date.

"Uncle… I'm gonna marry that girl…" he confessed.

Iroh's eyes widened, but he smiled. "I'm happy for you nephew…" he told him. Zuko smiled and nodded, "I'm going to head to bed…" he said, walking up the stairs. But Uncle called after him, "I want to meet her!" he yelled after him. Zuko rolled his eyes and kept walking, chuckling at his Uncle's antics.

The next day meant another work day for Katara. As much as she didn't want her weekend ruined after the night she had, she had to come back to the diner. Stu was in a bad mood per usual and it was another day of hell.

She had been there for 5 hours and she already wanted to bang her head off the wall. Katara was in the back, cutting up lemons when Suki wheeled in, "Hey can you grab the guy who just walked in?" she asked. Katara nodded and headed to the front of the diner.

Zuko stood there, hands in his pockets looking around. Katara stopped when she saw him, surprised by his presence, "Zuko?" she questioned. He turned to her and smiled, "Hi… I know it's against date etiquette to see the person the next day… but I wanted to see you again" he coughed slightly, "I brought you something, a little pick me up" he handed her a cup of iced coffee.

Katara smiled, taking it graciously and smiled. He was such a nice guy it amazed her how he could take an interest in her. "What are you doing tonight?" he asked her. Katara thought for a moment, "I get out of work at 5, why?" she asked him, wondering what he had planned.

"Well umm… my uncle wants to meet you" he told her, rubbing the back of his neck nervous, "If you don't want to, I can just tell him…" but she cut him off, "I'd love to"

Zuko smiled at her, "Cool umm… I'll pick you up at your apartment at 6?" he asked her again. She nodded and smiled.

"Katara! Get back to work!"

Katara sighed, "That's my cue. I'll see you later" she kissed his cheek then went back to the kitchen. Suki gave her a look as she walked back in, but said nothing. She smiled to herself at her friend's happiness. It had been so long since she had seen Katara smile the way she did when she was with Zuko.

Later that night, Zuko picked Katara up and drove her to his house. As soon as they walked through the door, they were greeted with Iroh's big personality, "Welcome! Welcome! Come on in! I have tea all set and ready to be brewed! What kind of tea do you like dear?" he asked her.

Katara fumbled with her words for a moment, caught off guard, "Anything is fine with me… I like all teas" she told the older man. Iroh smiled, "My kind of girl!" he then went back into the kitchen fiddling with his cupboard of teas, finding something to suit all of them.

Katara and Zuko exchanged a look but moved into the kitchen. "So, tell me about yourself dear" Iroh began. Katara thought for a moment, "Well I'm going to college for medicine…I moved her a few years ago… uhhh" she kept searching for things to say.

"Medicine! And she's smart too!" Iroh chuckled. Zuko rolled his eyes a little at his Uncle's antics. Katara smiled, taking the cup of tea he offered her.

Katara turned at the sound of someone running down the stairs to see a small boy, probably around the age of 8 or 9 standing in the kitchen doorway. "Uncle, can I have a cup of juice?" he asked. "Well of course you can Kai! Why don't you say hi to our visitor as well?" Iroh said, getting out the cup.

Kai turned to Katara and smiled a big toothy grin, "Hi…" he said. Katara smiled back, "Hello Kai, it is very nice to meet you…" she told him. The kid blushed for a moment then said, "You're really pretty"

The adults chuckled a little, "Well thank you Kai, you are very handsome yourself" she told him. This caused Kai to blush even more, taking the juice from his Uncle and running upstairs embarrassed. "Looks like you've got some competition Zuko" Iroh said, chuckling.

The rest of the evening went by quick. They talked about all sorts of things and Iroh quickly grew to love Katara. He had hoped that it worked out well with his nephew. He could see her as part of the family.

Zuko drove Katara home, taking her to her front door. "I hope you had fun tonight… Sorry for my Uncle's antics. He's… different"

Katara laughed a little, "It's fine… I had a great time" she said. He smiled and leaned into her and kissed her on the lips. She kissed him back, feeling the same fireworks from the last time they kissed. She hoped they never go away.

Zuko pulled away and sighed. Katara looked at him confused before he spoke, "What are we doing here? What is this?" he asked her.

"I don't know… But whatever it is, I don't want it to end…"

 **Ta-Daa! I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! It was a lot of fun to write! I hope all of you had a great holiday and new years! Onto the reviews!**

 **25Carin: Thank you so much! Keep reading!**

 **stordec23: Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	7. 7: I don't want this to end

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 7 of Long Lost Home! I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter! This chapter is where things begin to get more drama filled. So as always, I do not own avatar or its characters but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 7: I don't want this to end**

"I don't want this to end…"

The next 3 weeks went by in passion filled moments. In walks on the beach. In goodnight kisses by the door.

But Zuko would be returning tomorrow. His plane took off and he wouldn't be back for another year when his time in the military was up. He didn't have a choice, as much as he wanted to stay he knew he couldn't.

Katara smiled sadly at his remark. She wished it didn't have to either. She wanted nothing more then to stay wrapped in his arms for the rest of her life. They sat at the place he took her on their first date. They went here often to step back from the craziness of their lives.

They had spent as much time together as they possibly could, wanting to know if this was something that could wait a year to continue. Or if it would fizzle as soon as he got on the airplane.

"I don't want that either…" Katara told him honestly. She sighed, looking out at the waves that hit the shore so far away.

"Then it won't…"

She looked at him, not quiet understanding what he meant. Zuko took her hands in his, "Katara… I…" he pulled a box from his pocket

Katara quickly ripped her hands from his, "You're not proposing are you? Cause I'm not sure I can make that commitment just yet"

Zuko chuckled and took her hands back, "No… But I am asking for you to be my girlfriend…" Katara was suddenly quiet, slightly shocked. He continued, "I knew from the moment we met this was something special… And I wanted something special with you… And since then you have captured my heart more then I ever thought was possible…"

He opened the box. It had a small ring and in the center was half of a heart. Katara looked at him, shocked, not sure quiet what to say. Zuko then pulled the dog tags from his neck and showed her, the other half of the heart, on a ring, around his neck, "This is my promise to you… To come home to you… If we can do this, we can do anything… You just have to trust me…"

Katara looked at it, so surprised. Was this moving too fast? Could she jump in head first?

"Yes…"

Yes. Yes she could.

Zuko brought her home. But instead of kissing him goodnight, she lead him through the door. He picked her up by her thighs as she wrapped her legs around him, giggling. He kissed her, only letting go when he needed to take a breath.

He carried her to her room, kicking the door shut behind him. He laid her gently on the bed, "Are you sure you want to do this?" Zuko asked her. He wanted nothing more then to make love to her, but only if she wanted the same thing.

Katara nodded, "I've never been more sure of anything in my life…"

He kissed her senseless, wanting nothing more then to make love to her until the sun came up.

And that's exactly what he did.

The next morning, they woke up naked in eachothers arms. Zuko was the first awake, used to waking as soon as the sun had risen. He looked over at the sleeping form curled into his side.

He remembered the throes of passion he experienced the night before. He remembered how she felt under his touch and how ever time he traced her skin, it was like sparks beneath his fingertips. He remembered how he was able to drive such passion from her form with the slightest touch, as if he were electrified.

He smiled. It was the best night he had had in a long time.

Katara began to stir against him, her eyes fluttering open to meet his. She smiled at him, "Good morning…" she said in groggy voice. Her hair was messed up and makeup smeared under her eyes from the night before. But she was still the most gorgeous women he had ever seen.

Zuko smiled back at her, "Good morning beautiful…" she smiled at the term of endearment. But suddenly her smile was gone from her face.

And the reality of what day it was hit her.

A tear fell from her eye and he pulled her closer to his side, placing a kiss on her forehead. They both knew what today meant.

They would have to say goodbye.

After a while of holding each other in bed, praying that they didn't have to get up and face the day, they got up and get ready for the day. They had to go to Zuko's home to grab his things then head for the airport.

Iroh was waiting in the front hallway for Zuko to return. He had never come home the night previous and he actually didn't expect him to. He was hoping for some grandbabies in the near future. But he also knew what today meant for the young couple. He knew they would want as much time as possible together.

The two walked through the door, grave looks on their faces. They tried to give the old man a smile but they didn't have to. He already knew because he felt the same.

Zuko pulled his Uncle in for a hug. "Be safe my son…" his Uncle told him. It was the same thing he told him when he left the first time. Zuko smiled solemnly and nodded, before hugging his sister and nephew.

And before they knew it, they were standing at the gate. They both looked at each other, unsure what to say. Neither wanting to speak. Because when they did, it would be the start of goodbyes.

Katara tried to be strong. But as she stood in front of him, uniform and all, looking into his eyes, she broke. He pulled her in tight for a hug, "It's going to be okay…"

"I love you…" she told him. He kissed her head, "I love you too…"

"Attention Terminal 3, Flight 4807 is boarding now"

Katara pulled away and tried to smile, tried to make it look like she was okay. But he knew she wasn't. Because he wasn't either.

He began to walk away, but something drew him back in for one more kiss. As if he would regret it if he didn't. She kissed him back, holding onto his shirt as she did. He pulled away, caressing her cheek, "I love you…"

"I love you too…"

With that he turned and walked onto the plane. He didn't turn back. He knew he might not keep going if he did.

 **Ta-Daaa! Aww! Such a sad ending to this chapter! But don't worry, they won't be separated for too long! Onto the reviews!**

 **25Carin: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Keep reading!**

 **ArtillaTheHun: Thank you very much! Glad you liked it!**

 **stordec23: Me too! You can't have Zuko without Uncle Iroh! Thanks for reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Thanks for reading everyone! Until next time!**


	8. 8: Welcome Home Brother

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 8 of Long Lost Home! I hope you guys have enjoyed this series so far and where it is going! There's still a lot to come to stay tuned! I'm sorry for not getting any of my stories up last Sunday. I was very sick unfortunately. But I'm back again now! I try to upload at least one story every Sunday because that's the most of a schedule I can stick to lol So as always, I do not own Avatar or its characters, but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 8: Welcome Home Brother**

"Welcome home brother"

Zuko stepped off the plane and saw the rest of his crew standing before him. He smiled, they were a second family to him and as much as he hated to admit it, this was a second home now. But it didn't feel as much like one as when he left. There was something missing. A certain brown eyed beauty back in Los Angeles.

His sergeant, Chief, shook his hand, "Good to have you back" he told him. Zuko tried to smile, "Good to be back"

"You have a couple hours to settle then we got business to attend to. We got word that Mansour has been scoping one village about 75 miles from here. Our job is to find out why. The chinook crew will be arriving at 13 o clock so be ready in the square by then" Chief ordered.

"Sir yes sir" the crew yelled back.

Zuko began to walk back to the barracks to unpack his things. He sighed, first day back and he was already back on the grind. He didn't expect any less. He felt a pat on his shoulder and turned to see Jet standing behind him. "Welcome to hell brother" Jet laughed, causing Zuko to chuckle. "Feels like it too" Zuko admitted. They laughed.

They got to Zuko's room. It was exactly the same as he left it. Plywood walls and a boarded-up window to keep the spiders out. But they still found their way in. He even had a scorpion in his room once. The walls had posters of his favorite bands and one with a girl on a motorcycle, that strangely didn't seem so hot anymore. A box of movies sat in the corner and few books as well, not that he read them much.

It was home sweet home. At least for a little while.

"So how was home? Hows the fam?" Jet asked, playing with a rubix cube that sat on Zuko's desk. Zuko shrugged, "They're good. Kai has gotten so much bigger since I left. It's strange…" Jet nodded, silent for a moment.

"Did you fuck any hot chicks?" he asked. Zuko rolled his eyes, he was used to the crude comments, especially about women. But he was quiet, unsure of how to respond. But his silence only egged Jet on more, "You did! How was it? Was she hot? Blonde? Brunette? Give me details man! I haven't had an actual fuck in 6 months!"

Zuko sighed, "It was more than just a fuck dude… I love her…"

Jet was speechless for a moment, "Geesh dude…" he said surprised, "I'm happy for you brother…"

Zuko smiled, "Thank you…" he nodded, thanking him. "So let's see the girl that captured my best friends heart" Jet said jokingly. Zuko laughed and pulled the picture of her from his things.

He had taken it of her with her polaroid camera one of the many times at their spot, as they liked to call it now. She was smiling, looking over the oceans and city in the background. Her brown hair was flowing behind her and her eyes shown brightly even through the picture.

Jet looked at the picture, "Damn… Want to share?" he laughed. Zuko punched him in the arm and took the picture from him, laughing, "No way dude"

Jet laughed, "I'm just messing with ya brother". He looked at his watch, "It's about that time again" It was back to business.

"Let's go to work" Jet said, clapping him on the back. Zuko grabbed his gun and his gear and went to follow him. But before he did, he stopped and grabbed the picture of Katara, putting it on the pocket over his heart. He then followed behind Jet. Back to work, indeed.

Katara was meeting Suki for lunch, in between classes. Ever since Zuko had left, she had been out of the loop. She invested the past 4 weeks into him and now he was gone. And she didn't know how to spend her time.

When Katara walked in, Suki was already waiting for her at a small coffee shop on campus. Katara smiled, walking towards her, "Hey girl…" she sat across from her. Suki smiled back, "Hey stranger"

Katara smiled sadly, knowing it was true. The two had hardly seen each other for the past few weeks. "What's new?" Katara asked. Suki shrugged, "Not much… Stu is still an asshole. He was angsty since you gave up the majority of your shifts the past 3 weeks"

Katara chuckled, "Well I'm sure he'll be ecstatic when I'm back on the grind…" they laughed lightly. "Have you heard from him yet?" Suki asked.

Katara bit her lip and shook her head, "It's only been a few days, I'm sure he's just arrived and busy…" but she still worried as much as she tried to hide it. She didn't know what he was doing or where he was. He was off fighting a war and she was waiting anxiously for him to return home.

Suki sighed, "You're worrying… I can tell…" she told her best friend. Suki had a knack for always telling what mood Katara was in. Katara sighed and nodded, "I can't help it… What if…" she hated to think the worst, but part of her brain registered that something could happen to him.

Suki grabbed her hands, "You can't think like that… Thinking like that will only make it 100 times worse" Katara sighed and nodded, "I know…"

But Suki frowned and looked down at the hands she was holding. She gasped when she saw the ring on her finger, "He proposed? Already?! When?"

Katara shushed her to calm her down, "He didn't propose… It's a promise ring… A promise he'll come home to me…" Suki awed and looked at the ring, "It's beautiful. He did a good job" Katara laughed a little.

"Then hold onto that! He will come home and you'll get married and have tons of babies" Suki said. Katara blushed and smacked her lightly on the arm. Suki smiled, "I'm happy for you Katara…" Katara smiled, thanking her.

But then Suki thought of an idea, "Why don't you see his family? That'll help you feel closer to him. Then also when he comes home, you'll already be on great terms with his family" she sipped her coffee as she spoke.

Katara frowned, thinking. It wasn't such a bad idea. She loved his Uncle and his nephew and I'm sure she'll love his sister just as much. "That's a great idea" she confessed. Suki sat back smugly, "I know…"

Katara rolled her eyes, laughing a little. Only 360 days to go.

 **Ta-Daa! That's it for this chapter! This chapter also shows you how this is going to go for a little while. Every chapter we will get some of Katara and some of Zuko. So we know what each person is doing! Now onto the reviews!**

 **stordec23: Thank you so much! Your reviews make me smile every time! Keep reading!**

 **25Carin: Thank you for reading! I hope this explained your question a little bit. I won't be writing every single of the year because that would be insane. There will be time jumps but I do want to capture a few of the moments while they are apart as well. I feel that its really necessary to the story. Thank you for asking!**

 **Guest: It's gonna be a bit of a wait but don't worry! It's not too far off! Thanks for reading!**

 **livin: I understand that! But there's someone for everyone don't worry! I'm lucky enough to have found someone just like him and you will too! Thanks for reading!**

 **Avidfan13: Thank you so much! Keep reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	9. 9: Let's roll out

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 9 of Long Lost Home! I hope you guys enjoyed that last chapter and are excited for what's to come in this series. I got some exciting stuff planned so stay tuned! As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters, but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 9: Let's roll out**

"Let's roll out"

All the men had lined up for their mission. Everyone sat waiting with bated breath as Chief explained their duty. They had to go in talk to an inn keeper that a key leader of the Taliban visited a few days previous. It was generally an easy mission, but they still had to await with caution since we didn't know who this guy might be or if their target had spies watching the man.

Then they all jumped into action as their officer said the three words he always said before any mission. They loaded into the chinook.

Zuko exchanged a look with Jet and nodded his head. Jet nodded back. It was a unspoken pact between the two, simply saying I have your back.

Zuko looked around the giant chinook the crew had piled into. He had gotten used to the big machines, having been in one many times before. But he still remembered the first time he saw one.

 _"This aircraft is the Boeing CH-47 Chinook. It is American made. Twin Engine. Tandem-rotor. Heavy lifting Helicopter. And it also will save your life. It is one of the heaviest aircrafts but if you are not on it when it goes up in the air it is not coming back to save your ass… Do I make myself clear?"_

 _"Sir yes sir!" Zuko yelled along with the rest of the strangers in the new group of recruits. He let out a heavy breath. Just stay alive, he thought to himself._

He looked out the window. A lot of things had changed since then.

 _"I love you…" she told him. He kissed her head, "I love you too…"_

Just stay alive, he told himself. He had a lot more to live for now.

It wasn't long before they landed a safe distance from the village. They couldn't land too close because it would draw a lot of attention. They would have to make the rest of the trek on foot.

They walked in a straight line, Chief leading them all. They didn't know what was in these areas outside of the village. Once they got close enough to the village, they fanned out, closing in on the small inn where the Taliban leader was seen entering.

Zuko and 4 other men were instructed to enter while the others either kept watch outside or were positioned on a roof near by with a sniper gun. They didn't want to take any chances of someone getting hurt.

Like a flash, the 5 men burst into the inn. They heard a woman scream and a man babbling away. "Get down!" Zuko instructed, keeping his gun positioned on them. The man kept talking but moved to his knees. He spoke in his native tongue. The woman began to cry, begging them. It seemed please was the only English word she knew.

Zuko and Jet stayed together with the innkeepers while the other 3 searched the home. Suddenly one guy called from upstairs, "You guys gotta see this!" he yelled down the steps. Zuko and Jet lead the two up the stairs where their other group member called.

They walked in the room and were shocked by what they saw. The floorboard was pulled up and at least 30 guns were stashed underneath, hard artillery guns capable of killing hundreds. Zuko pointed the gun more forcefully at the man, "What is this?" he asked. But the man kept blabbing.

Zuko turned to their member, they never knew his real name but called him by Rocky, "Can you make anything out?" knowing he knew some of the language, having been overseas since the war started 10 years ago.

But Rocky shook his head, "I could if he wasn't talking so damn fast. Calm them down and I might"

Zuko nodded and looked to Jet, "Help me search them for any weapons. Then we'll lower the guns and see if we can get them talking sense"

After a while, they had the two innkeepers in another room and calmed down. They began to explain. The leader that visited them threatened them and forced to them to hide some of his guns here. He would be coming in 2 days' time to retrieve them. And they had to be ready for when he arrived.

The crew decided to set up camp about 3 miles from the village, a safe distance that they could get to quickly if the plans changed.

Zuko hardly ever slept on a mission. The anticipation of what was coming next was always too great for him to get much sleep. He often felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Except he knew all of the presents would be gunshots and bombs. Looking to pass the time, he sat down against a tree and began to write his first letter to Katara.

 _Dear Katara,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to write yet. The trip back was longer then expected and we had to leave for a mission immediately. I can't tell you where I am or what I'm doing. It's considered classified information. But I can tell you I'd rather be with you then here…_

Zuko sighed, thinking to himself, Only 359 days left.

Katara knocked on the door, waiting a moment before she heard the soft noise of footsteps and the lock turning. Iroh opened the door and smiled, "Katara, come in. I have some tea already made on the stove"

Katara smiled and walked through the door, looking around at the somewhat familiar surroundings. Iroh was already pouring her a cup of tea when she got into the kitchen. She smiled at him and took it graciously, "So how is everything?" she asked him.

Iroh sighed, "A lot more quiet now that he's gone… But we're hanging in there… How about you sweetheart?" he asked her. She tried to smile but it didn't quiet come out right, "I'm alright… Trying to stay busy" Iroh nodded, understanding.

"So how does this work?" Katara asked, "Zuko explained a little bit to me before he left but… we tried not to think about it too much" and she was glad they didn't. Those blissful 3 weeks was something she would cherish for the next year. Iroh began to explain, "Well mostly letters… But he usually gets the chance to call once a month or so…"

She nodded, thinking. She missed him already. How would she feel once she heard his voice once again? She shook with anticipation, but she wasn't sure if it would make her miss him more once he hung up. She constantly worried for his safety, so hearing his voice would bring peace. If only for a little while.

"Does it get easier?" she asked. Iroh shook his head, "I'm sorry to tell you but no… No it doesn't"

Katara sighed, already knowing that was the answer. She tried to smile and chuckle, "Only 359 more days"

Iroh chuckled as well, "Indeed…" clinking his glass with hers.

 **Ta-Daaa! That's it for this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed that one! Just to clarify, I will not be doing every single day for the entire year. There will be time jumps. I just want to get the most important events over the course of the year and a lot of those are right at the beginning. So onto the reviews!**

 **stordec23: Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed that dynamic! There will be a lot more of it to come!**

 **25Carin: Thank you for reading! I thought the Zuko and Jet dynamic would make sense in this series. Jet finds it very easy to find hate in the fire nation in the series, so it would be easy for him to find hate in the war in this series!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	10. 10: It's time boys

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 10 of Long Lost Home! We're at chapter 10 already! This is really exciting to share with you all and I hope you guys are enjoying how this series is progressing! It's a lot of fun to write and I hope you guys enjoy these next chapters to come! As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters, but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 10: It's time boys**

"It's time boys"

The group woke up before dawn, their Chief waking them up to get moving. They wanted to be in position before Mansour arrived. Nobody spoke, desperate to keep their minds focused on the task and not on each other. The morning of a mission, there was always this looming threat hanging over them.

Someone could not make it out alive.

Zuko remembered Yen, the first friend he had lost. He remembered the day clearly.

 _They were driving through an old deserted town. Their 3 trucks were lined up, with their team piled inside. Driving was always peaceful to Zuko. And it felt like a slice of home when he did._

 _Jet spoke, "These guys are driving like grandmas" he said, flicking his cigarette out the window. They were the last car in the train and forced to go at their speed. But Zuko rolled his eyes, "We're going through a village. If we drive through like a bat out of hell, we might draw some attention" Zuko chuckled._

 _But little did they know, they already had it._

Yen was hit with a bullet to the head. It was an incredibly lucky shot made by some 16-year-old kid, recruited by the Taliban. They never found the kid. He ran off as soon as his finger pulled the trigger.

Since then, Zuko had seen too much death for a man his age. Even Zhao, a man who he had never agreed with, and never gotten along with, his death cut Zuko up inside. He refused to leave any man behind, dead or alive.

But even after all of that, he had to keep hope that everyone was going to make it out alive. He didn't want to bring anyone home in a body bag.

They moved as one. Each watching each other's backs and taking a step together. If they went down, everyone did. If they lost one person, the whole mission would crumble.

They never went to see the innkeeper, afraid spies would be watching them, especially this important day. They stationed themselves on top of buildings and just beyond the tree line. The hope was that a sniper could take him out and they wouldn't have to fight Mansour straight on. But there was no guaranteeing that the first shot would land.

Everyone waited with baited breath for the truck to pull up. And when it did, it was like hell broke loose.

Mansour stepped from the vehicle and out into the square. He stood there for a moment, looking around. The slight grin on his face was the scariest thing that Zuko had ever seen. It was like he was mad.

The innkeeper stepped outside after seeing the truck pull up. He rushed to the man, speaking their native tongue. But Zuko could tell the man was nervous. He hoped that Mansour didn't see it too.

He did. The bullet to the forehead explained that for him.

As soon as Mansour shot the innkeeper, bullets flew from all directions. The cards were off, and it was there job to make sure that this man didn't make it out.

Zuko crawled to his Chief, "What do we do?" he yelled over the sounds of the bullets and hand grenades.

The Chief continued shooting when Zuko came over and spoke, "We lost our element of surprise! But I still think we can win this fight!" he threw a hand grenade of his own, "Fall in! Don't let him get away!"

Zuko nodded. It was a risky plan, but he trusted Chief with his life, and if he believed they could still win this battle, then he did too. He moved in, closer towards the group of Taliban fighters. As he looked towards the battle, a memory moved through his mind.

 _"Uncle I can do this!" Zuko's shaggy hair fell into his face. He moved it to the side, not backing down. Iroh shook his head, "Zuko, its so dangerous! You could die! We can't lose you Zuko! Your sister needs you! I need you!"_

 _Zuko fell quiet for a moment, it was the first time his Uncle clearly professed how much he needed him. "Uncle… I have to do this… I'll be okay… They're just a bunch of rebels anyways"_

How wrong he was.

Zuko kept moving forward, trying to get a clear shot. And suddenly, everything moved in slow motion.

Zuko raised his gun towards Mansour. But the leader was already looking him in the eye, his gun pointed straight for his heart. It seemed like minutes that they stared at each other, wondering who was going to shoot first.

But it was only seconds before a bullet went through his head, coming from the opposite direction.

Zuko looked over and saw Jet with his gun raised, looking straight towards Mansour. He looked back at Zuko and nodded. He always had his back.

Katara spent her days at school, her nights with Iroh and her weekends at work. It kept her busy, but still couldn't fill the hole in her heart where a part of her felt like it was missing. He was missing.

But it kept her focused on her studies. She felt like if she did that, she would be ready for when he came home. So, they could start a life together. She smiled when she thought about it. There was no way to describe hoe good a life with him sounded.

But the nights were the hardest. Where the other side of her bed felt empty and her arms felt even emptier. It was hard to imagine how that could happen in 3 weeks.

She laid in bed at night and wondered where he was and what he was doing. Was he thinking of her? A letter hadn't arrived yet, but Iroh told her not to worry. The first 2 weeks were the hardest. Then letters start to arrive faster then you can ready them.

Katara sighed and looked down at the ring on her finger, "Come home…" she said to the empty space around her.

"Come home…"

 **Aww! Sad chapter ending I know. But I wanted to truly express what its like to be missing someone in the military. My father took 2 deployments so I understand some of what she is feeling. And I wanted to express that into writing. Thank you guys for reading! Onto the reviews!**

 **stordec23: Thank you very much! We will see more of them! Keep reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	11. 11: Get out here!

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 11 of Long Lost Home! I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter! I know it has a sad ending but right now things aren't the happiest for our two love birds! But don't worry! It'll get happier soon! So as always, I do not own Avatar or its characters, but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 11: Get out here!**

"Katara! Get out here!"

Another day, more of Stu's bullshit.

Katara groaned and tried to put a smile on her face and wheeled her happy self out to the work floor. Stu was standing next to a table of unhappy customers. Katara smiled at them, "What's going on?" she asked them, but her smile did nothing to flip the frowns on the customers and her bosses faces.

"What is this?" Stu asked her. He pointed to the customers plate.

Katara looked to the plate to see a long black, curly hair sitting in the customer's mac and cheese. Hair not unlike what the customer had themselves. Stu was fuming furious, clearly putting the blame onto her for the unsanitary act.

But still Katara kept her smile on, "Oh wow, I am so sorry ma'am. I can go get you a new plate right away" she said, reaching to go grab the plate. But Stu stopped her. "Suki will get the customer a new plate and a refund. My office. Now" he told her, using his sternest voice possible but it was hard with how high pitched it was.

Katara bit her tongue and nodded, giving Suki a look as she passed her. Suki mouthed an apology and went to replace the customers plate.

Katara went into Stu's office and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. It wasn't the first time a customer had tried to do this to one of the girls. And of course, because of Stu's naivety, he believed them every time, when it was clearly not anyone's fault.

Stu followed her in and sat at his desk. "Katara. We do not stand for this lack of thought" he told her. But Katara wasn't going to sit back, "You honestly think it was my hair? It was obvious the customer put it in herself! It's not my fault!"

"Excuses!" he told her. Stu sighed, calming himself. He stood and walked over to her, "Now in any other circumstance, you would be immediately fired. But… I think I have a way you could make it up to me"

Katara gave him a confused but frustrated look. But suddenly, Stu pressed her against the wall and grabbed onto her waist, reaching for her behind, "Don't worry, I won't let any of the other girls know" he went to kiss her neck.

Katara stood there frozen in shock for a moment, but quickly rebounded, kneeing him in the balls and pushing him off. He fell over, catching himself on his desk. Katara was fuming and it took everything in her not to beat the shit out of him, "You don't have to worry about firing me. Because I quit!"

She wheeled out of his office, leaving a furious and in pain boss in her wake. Katara went to the locker room and began to take off her skates. She wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible before Stu recovered and tried going after her. And she wanted nothing more then to shower so she could get the smell of alcohol and Stu's BO off of her.

Suki wheeled in after her, "What happened?" she asked her. Katara laughed, "I just quit. The sleezeball tried putting himself on to me so I kneed him in the nuts and now I'm out"

Suki looked at her eyes wide, but after a moment began to laugh, "Get the fuck out of this shithole" she told her friend, "See ya tomorrow for lunch" she said, still laughing and wheeling back out to the floor.

Katara smiled and left her uniform and skates in the locker and the key hanging on the handle. She took her stuff and was gone before Stu could even call her name.

After the raid, Zuko and the rest of the guys were given a week to just relax. Chief commended them for their hard work in taking out Mansour, but it wouldn't be long before the next in line rose to power, just as malicious as the last.

The guys took the time off to hang out, play video games, get drunk, and whatever else they wanted to. A lot of guys would go off to the strip club in town because it was normally off limits when they were on duty, but that idea didn't seem so appealing to Zuko anymore.

Zuko tried to find time to write Katara and his family as often as he could so in a weeks' time, after not getting any letters at all, they'll have plenty to read about what he has been doing. He had sent a letter to Katara first, about a week previous. She had been the only thing on his mind and he wanted her to know he was okay.

He had only been gone for 3 weeks now but it felt like even longer then that. Days turned into years when he wasn't always busy. He thought about Katara almost constantly. She plagued his mind.

He sighed over his evening meal, looking at the schlop they called food. Man, he missed steak. Jet sat across from him, "You okay buddy?" he asked him. Zuko shrugged, "Just home sick… I'm ready to get busy again"

Jet chuckled, "I know buddy… Did you see the new batch of recruits?" he asked him. Zuko looked over to their table as they all looked around, clearly scared shitless. Zuko chuckled to himself, "They're in for a rude awakening… They'll miss bootcamp"

The two laughed, remembering their time at bootcamp.

 _The staff sergeant yelled over them, "I don't give a shit if you're cold! You power through it! You are weak! And I will make you strong!"_

 _The men laid in the tide, the freezing water rushing over their bodies. Mind over Matter, they kept telling themselves, but it did nothing to stop the frost bite reaching their toes._

 _"You are all a bunch of princesses! You hear me? Can you hear me?!"_

 _"Sir yes sir!"_

A cold chill ran up Zuko's spine at the thought. Boot camp held some of the worst and best memories of his life. As brutal as it was, he remembered staying up late with the guys and talking about useless bullshit. He remembered the stupid things they did that they regretted in the morning but made great memories.

He remembered the men who dropped out, who rang the dreaded bell. And how he almost did.

 _"You are nothing! You hear me! You are weak!"_

 _Zuko closed his eyes as the spit from the staff sergeant's mouth flew at his face. He was in his face, screaming at him._

 _"You aren't tough enough to be here! You don't deserve to be here! You are a worthless piece of shit!"_

 _Zuko looked at the bell. It would only take a few steps and he could be done. He could go home and all of this would be over. The sergeant noticed his eyes shift, "You wanna go home?! Then go home you pansy! You're weak!"_

 _But Zuko's face hardened. No._

 _"No! I will prove you wrong sir!"_

The sergeant respected him after that. Most men when they disrespect their sergeant get the shit kicked out of them. But he respected his resolve and his determination. It made him stronger.

But part of him wishes he rang that bell. He would be home with Katara right now. He would be safe with her.

Zuko shook his head. No. He was strong. He was strong for her. He protected her. Everything he did now was for her.

And soon he would be home to her… In 345 more days…

 **Ta-Daaa! Cute chapter! What did you think of Katara standing up to Stu? What's going to happen next? Onto the reviews!**

 **sinerella66: Thank you!**

 **jacpin2002: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! I tried to make it a little suspenseful! Keep reading!**

 **stordec23: Thank you for your reviews! I always enjoy them! Keep reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	12. 12: You're home early?

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 12 of Long Lost Home! I hope you guys enjoyed that last chapter! A lot happened with Katara! This chapter is also very exciting for Katara so stay tuned! As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters, but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 12: You're home early?**

"You're home early?"

Katara looked up at Sokka's words. Sokka gave her a strange look, questioning her for why she was home. Katara chuckled quietly to herself, "Well… uhh… I quit?"

Sokka's eyes widened, "You did what?"

Katara sighed and explained everything to him, from how the customer put their own hair in the food, to Stu trying something with her, to her storming out. Sokka listened intently with his eyes wide. She let out a breath afterwards, "Now I don't know what I'm going to do for money…"

Sokka sighed and pulled his sister in close for a hug. She hugged him back, feeling comforted in his arms for a moment.

"Well I have something that might make you feel better" he told her. Katara looked at him, a little confused. That's when he handed her a letter, addressed from the United States Military.

Her eyes lit up and she took the letter from his hands, racing to her room to open it. Sokka chuckled watching her and walked back to the couch.

Katara ripped open the letter, desperate to read it.

 _Dear Katara,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to write yet. The trip back was longer than expected and we had to leave for a mission immediately. I can't tell you where I am or what I'm doing. It's considered classified information. But I can tell you I'd rather be with you then here._

 _Its ungodly hot, just like I remembered it being. I missed the guys while I was gone. We're like one big happy family here. They were glad I was back too, saying it wasn't the same. But I'd still rather be home._

 _I can't tell you much, but at the same time I'm not sure what you want to know. First of all, I'm alive and perfectly healthy. I'm exactly the same as I was when I left, except maybe a little tanner. Do you want to know anymore then that? I can't tell you what I'm doing but I can talk about the basics. But if that'll scare you, then I won't talk about it._

 _How are you? Is Stu still being a pain in the ass? I wish I could be there to fight him cause honestly, I would. The dudes such an asshole. Has Sokka given you his rent yet? I'm not gonna fight your brother though._

 _I remember when I was a kid how my Uncle used to take me and sister to the fair. He gave us so much food, saying it was always the best part of the fair. Then we went on the went on the pirate ship ride and got sick everywhere. I had it the worst, but I remember laughing about it for days afterwards._

 _I miss you already. I'm not sure when you'll get this letter, but I'm counting down the days until I see you again. I love you._

 _Zuko_

Katara teared up reading the letter, rereading it several times over. She held it close to her heart, never wanting to let it go. Some of the worries of the past 3 weeks had faded from view. He was alive, he was safe. That was most important to her.

But another part of her was worried. Did she want to know everything she could? Or did she only want to know if he was safe.

After a moment, she sat down at her desk and began to write.

 _Dear Zuko,_

 _I want to know everything you can tell me…_

She smiled a little. She wanted to know everything.

Zuko was walking back to his cabin from dinner, looking forward to a night of movies and maybe a beer, while he wrote to his Uncle and sister.

But Jet bounded up to him, and somehow Zuko knew his quiet night was going to be over. "Hey buddy! We're going out!" Jet told him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Zuko looked at him confused, "What do you mean dude?" he asked the other guy.

"It's our break! You can't sit in your room the entire time! We're going out! We're having fun!" Jet pulled him away with Zuko rolling his eyes. He had to admit, it would be an interesting night.

They traveled to one of the little pubs in town. A place with dim lightning, crappy seating and even crappier beer. They couldn't drink much, afraid of bring caught with a hangover by Chief, but enough to get them a good buzz.

And as much as Zuko didn't want to admit it, he was having fun. A few other guys had met them there and they just talked and laughed and drank and it felt like old times, when he didn't crave to be home.

After a little while, a girl walked over to them. It was obvious she was American. Her long blonde hair stuck out like a sore thumb in this side of town. And even though she dressed modestly, as was required if you didn't want to get shot or attacked, there was a slight hint of skank about her, even if it were the smirk on her face.

"Hello boys" she said, batting her eyelashes at all of them. A few of the guys sitting up further to talk to her, including Jet. Zuko merely gave a friendly wave. Seeing she had all of the other guys attention but his, she sauntered over to his side of the table, "Can I get you boys a round of drinks?" she asked them, putting her hands on Zuko's shoulders.

He had honestly never been more uncomfortable in his life. Zuko didn't want the girl's affections but it was obvious she wanted is. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "Or I could just take you home with me…"

Zuko gaped for a moment. He was past the point of uncomfortable of pushing her off. He was actually speechless, blank faced. He stuttered on his words for a moment. But thankfully Jet spoke up for him, "He's got a girl back home, don't even try sweet cheeks. But you can come on over here with me" he smirked. But the girl rolled her eyes and stomped off, seeing she wasn't going to get what she wanted.

Zuko nodded his thanks to Jet before returning to his beer, trying everything to forget what had just happened. But he did know something. No other girl would ever compare to Katara.

She was the only one for him.

 **Ta-Daa! What did you guys think of that chapter? Katara got her first letter! Yay! There will be plenty more to come! Onto the reviews!**

 **Jacpin2002: You'll have to keep reading to find out the ending! Glad you enjoyed!**

 **Guest: Yes! He is a navy seal in this story!**

 **Sinerella66: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	13. 13: It's that time again boys!

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 13 of Long Lost Home! I am back! Finals really hit me hard this year but I am back and able to upload on a regular schedule again! So today there is an extra chapter of all of my stories and there will be another on Sunday! So I hope you guys enjoy! As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 13: It's that time again boys!**

"It's that time again boys!"

Zuko looked up from the book he was reading. All the guys were huddled around their Chief and he ran over as well, excited for their next mission.

Chief started to speak, "We got a night raid this time boys" he told the crowd. Some whoops and hollers were heard from around. Everyone seemed to like night raids, it gave everyone the chance to use their night googles and act stealthy. But just as soon as everyone began to get loud, Chief quieted them down again, "There's believed to be a bomb factory over on the far side of Kabul, only a couple of miles from the city"

Rocky spoke up, "Sir isn't that odd to you? Usually bomb factories are miles away from cities incase they blow up" everyone snickered slightly but Chief shot them a look before speaking, "Excellent question Rocky. These assholes seem to be a little smarter then the rest, knowing that we think that bomb factories are usually miles away, set theirs up right next to some kiddies playing on a playground"

Everyone listened to him intently, not wanting to miss a word he was going to say, "We roll out tomorrow at 21:30 and I expect you all to be prepared for the worst. We need to stop production and any bombs already made, need to be dismantled. Since they're so close to the town center, we can risk blowing the place up. That means no grenades and be careful where you shoot. I expect everyone to come out of this alive, alright"

"Sir yes sir!" they all yelled in unison. Chief nodded, "Good, now I got a little surprise for all of you" he held up a stack of letters, causing everyone to smile and get a little bit excited, even if they tried not to show it.

Zuko waited, listening intently, hoping his name would be called. He craved to hear from Katara, to hear how she was doing, if she was okay.

"Zuko!"

He ran up to grab his letter, not even waiting to get to his room to read it. He ran to the corner of the room, sitting down on a couch and opening the letter, beginning to read.

 _Dear Zuko,_

 _Letter 1_

 _I want to know everything you can tell me. I want to know how your friends are doing. I want to know when you're upset. I want to know when you're mad. I want to know what you and your friends joked about today. I want to know it all. Then maybe, just maybe, it'll feel like you're here with me._

 _I know you've been busy. I'm sure the guys ran you ragged as soon as you got back. It's been a rough few days with you gone. I'm struggling to find things to do so I can distract myself with you being gone._

 _I quit my job today. Stu blamed me for a customer putting her own hair in her food and then tried to get me to sleep with him in his own office so I would keep my job. I of course denied it and kneed him in the nuts and stormed out. Luckily your letter came at just the right time. I'm happy about never having to be back there, but I'm worried about money. I have enough saved up for a little over a month's rent and food. But if I don't find a new job before then, I could be in trouble._

 _When I was a little girl, my dad would always take me to my grandmothers house on the weekends. Even though it was over an hour drive, he always made it important that we go so we could have some sort of mother figure in our lives. But she had acres of land and we would always go down to the crick and play in the water. I remember my brother got a snapping turtle stuck on his finger once and my dad had to pry it off. I remember it being so funny._

 _I thought maybe we could number our letters. That way years from now we could look back at all of them and remember what was happening in our lives. Do you like that idea?_

 _I hope you're doing alright. I hope you know I miss you terribly. Good luck._

 _Katara_

Zuko smiled as he read her letter, then scowled as he got to the part about Stu, then laughed about Sokka, then smiled again. He missed her terribly too. If only she knew how much.

Katara sat a little coffee shop at school, pouring herself over newspapers and job listing websites, trying desperately to find a job. It had been two weeks and she still had nothing. She had gone to two interviews but both of them were complete duds, almost bad as the diner.

She rubbed her temples frustrated at the circumstance. Everyone kept telling her a job would fall in her lap but right now, she needed to pull it out of the sky because it was taking too long to fall down.

She looked out the window, her mind wandering to Zuko and what he might be doing right now. She had gotten a reply to her letter, but she knew she would at some point. He told her it might take a while in between letters. She sighed, trying not to miss him but knowing she always would. It had been a little over a month since he had left but it felt like years.

"Hey girl" Katara looked up to see Suki sitting across from her. She smiled at her, "How's the diner?" Katara asked. Suki only laughed slightly, "The usual, Stu was furious when you left. I think he realized he might have messed up. There's already a new girl to replace you and she seems like kind of a jerk"

"Stu will like her then" Katara said, as they both chuckled. "How's job searching coming?" Suki asked her, which caused Katara's mood to dampen slightly. "I've got a whole lot of nothing… Every place is worse then the last. And that's saying something for how bad the diner was" Katara rubbed her face, agitated.

Suki sighed, "Have you tried talking to any of your professors? Maybe they have an in at the hospital and can get you an internship? You're about to graduate" she suggested. Katara thought about it for a moment, "I guess it's worth a shot" she told her friend.

Katara sipped her coffee, thinking of better times where Zuko was home and she had a job and not a crappy apartment and things were okay in the world.

 **Ta-Daaa! Aw Katara is struggling. How do you think talking to her professor will go? How do you think that Zuko's mission will go? Let me know in a review! Onto the reviews!**

 **Stordec23: Friends are always important! Thank you for reading!**

 **jacpin002: I don't think Zuko would ever cheat! He doesn't seem like that type of person. Even in the series, he is very loyal, sometimes even to his own downfall. Thank you for reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	14. 14: That's it for today!

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 14 of Long Lost Home! I hope you guys enjoyed that last chapter! I'm sorry again for the slow in chapters lately. Once I'm home for the summer chapters will be back on a normal schedule and I may end up putting out more chapters per week, depending on my work schedule. But for now, here we are! As always, I do not own avatar or its characters, but the world is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 14: That's it for today!**

"That's it for today class!"

Everyone shot out of their seats, desperate to get out of Dr. Montgomery's class. It was prenatal studies and a lot of people in the class just want the grade, so they could get out. But Katara had thought about going into prenatal once she was out but it was too early to tell exactly what she was interested in. But she always loved babies and she wouldn't mind helping bring them into the world.

Dr. Montgomery was always an uptight woman. She worked at California hospital for several years and when she finally retired, she moved down to California to work at the college. Katara looked at her, remembering how Suki told her to ask her professors about job opportunities. But the thought also scared her at the same time.

But Katara took a deep breath and walked to the front of the classroom where Mrs. Montgomery was filing her papers away. "Dr. Montgomery?" she asked her slightly. The woman looked up and looked at the girl, "Katara, you can call me Amy. What can I do for you?" she asked, nicely.

Katara smiled slightly, "Well I just left my last job and I'm looking for a new one. I was kind of hoping for some type of internship in the field and wanted to see if you had anywhere I could look?" she asked her.

Amy smiled at her, "Of course. I love it when students come and ask me about job opportunities. It makes me think you're taking this seriously" Katara smiled and nodded at this as she spoke, "Let me make a few calls and I'll get back to you"

Katara nodded, "Absolutely, that would be fantastic, thank you so much" she expressed her gratitude. Amy smiled, "My pleasure, do you know what field you want to go into? The field defines the doctor you know. An old friend told me that once" she asked her. Katara shrugged slightly, "I'm not entirely sure but I'm very interested in prenatal or pediatrics" she told her.

Dr. Montgomery smiled, "Well I know a lot about prenatal. If you ever need any advice, my door is always open" she said, before she said her goodbyes and left the classroom.

Katara stood there for a moment smiling, before she silently cheered to herself. She had always heard the best way to get a job in the field was to have an in. And she had found herself an in.

Zuko looked around his room, making sure he had grabbed every little thing that could possibly help him, but still not grabbing too much so he wouldn't feel weighed down. He took a deep breath and grabbed his picture of Katara, putting it over his heart and walking out of his room.

All of the men were standing together, most of them silent, saying their final prayers before they got on the trucks. Zuko looked around for Jet, finding him leaning against the wall. He walked over and noticed the mumbling to himself.

"I never saw you as a praying guy" he told his friend. Jet shrugged slightly, "I normally don't… But I gotta get home somehow ya know…" he smiled, trying to crack a joke in this time. That was so much like him.

Everyone knew what was at stake. One wrong move, and not only would they be at risk, but the entire town would be as well. There was so much more to lose then just their lives.

A truck rolled up and the Chief jumped out, barely taking a moments pause, "All right men… Let's roll out"

Everyone loaded up the trucks, knowing that the next time they got off, they had to be in full on game mode. Everyone was silent, as if there were no words to speak. Everyone knew their mission and what they had to do, talking would come later.

The group rolls up to the outskirts of the town. The plan was to act as if they were sending the town some supplies before raiding the factory, hopefully drawing them off the trail since there was no way they would get out alive if they knew the military was coming.

They tried to remain quiet and stealthy, sneaking through the edge of town. Chief lead them across town, through alleyways and corner. They all moved as one.

And all it took was the raise of a hand for everyone to prepare themselves. And as soon as Chief threw his hand down they stormed the building, every single soldier with their gun held high. But it only took a few steps for them to be stopped in their tracks.

The room was filled with women and children. The soldiers stopped but didn't lower their guns. All of the middle eastern women and children dropped to their knees with their hands raised. The soldiers looked to the Chief about what to do next.

The Chief looked around, "Put them against that wall. Once we disable all of the bombs and take all of the supplies, we'll let them go" he looked to Rocky, "See if you can get one of them to talk"

All the soldiers followed orders. Zuko guided two young boys to the wall, lowering his gun slightly but still alert. The two boys looked at him scared so Zuko lowered to their level, "It's gonna be okay… Everything's gonna be okay…"

He noticed how the boys slowly became more relaxed, even though they did not understand the mans words. As they relaxed, Zuko noticed the bruises on their wrists and arms and cuts on their knees. Zuko stood and walked over to the Chief, "They're being tortured… I don't think they're here on their free will" he told him. The Chief sighed, "We'll wait and see what Rocky gets out of them"

Zuko walked over to the group disabling the bombs, looking over their shoulders for any mistakes. They couldn't be too careful. He stopped at Jet, "Hows it coming?" he asked him. Jet sighed and shrugged, "As good as it can… They have enough bombs in here to blow up this entire town" he looked over to the group of workers, "They are just kids…"

Zuko felt a tug on his pants and looked down to see the two little boys looking back at him. Zuko saw the looks on their faces and got down to their level, seeing the fear in them. The first little boy, the older of the two, pointed to the back room with haste. Zuko frowned, looking towards the back door. The boys grabbed his hand and dragged him outside.

He looked around, confused at what the boys meant. But then it caught his eye.

"EVERYONE GET OUT NOW! THIS PLACE IS ABOUT TO BLOW" he yelled, carrying the two young boys back out the front building. He knew everyone was behind him but he didn't want to turn around to look, as he heard the explosion ring through the air.

Zuko finally looked back, seeing everyone on the ground around him and safe. He let out a breath. Chief started yelling out orders to everyone. When he caught Zuko's eye, he gave him a nod of approval, but that was only what time allowed. They had to make sure everyone was accounted for.

They had to make sure everyone was alive.

 **Ta-Daa! Suspenseful chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it! We will see more of Dr. Montgomery next chapter! Onto the reviews!**

 **jacpin2002: I agree! I think that it takes a lot to cheat on someone you love and its honestly something you don't come back from. And there will be ups and downs in this story! Stay tuned!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	15. 15: Hey Solider!

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 15 of Long Lost Home! So I know you all are wondering where I've been. But unfortunately there was some personal issues that came up that took time away from me writing! But I hope to be back again regularly soon! Last chapter was very suspenseful so this chapter is toned down a little but just as exciting! You will see why very soon! So stay tuned! As always I do not own Avatar or its characters but the story is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 15: Hey Soldier!**

"Hey Soldier!"

Zuko didn't bother looking up, keeping his eyes on the picture of Katara in front of him. He looked at the picture often, especially after a big raid.

"Zuko!"

He looked up at the sound of his name. The Chief was walking towards him, walking tall and proud. Zuko stood up, slightly surprised by the Chiefs demeanor. Instead of brash and cold, he almost seemed happy.

"You did a great thing on the field there yesterday" he told him. Zuko shook his head nonchalantly, "It was nothing…" he said, not trying to make it a big deal. But the Chief was not willing to let it go as Zuko wanted, "You saved those people's lives and you saved your crew's lives… That is not nothing" he told him.

Zuko smiled a little, "Thank you sir… The women and children… Do you know what is happening to them?" he asked. "They are being taken by a chinook unit to a safe area where they will be watched and kept safe" the Chief replied.

Zuko nodded, happy that the boys who helped him would be safe. Maybe they would be able to live a normal life from now on, instead of building bombs for the Taliban. The Chief nodded, "Come with me to my office… I have a little treat for you…" he started to walk away, Zuko following him.

Katara didn't have class with Dr. Montgomery for another 2 days and the suspense killed her. She wanted to know if she had any chance of getting a job in the field because she couldn't wait any longer. Time was ticking for her rent and she could only last another month before she wouldn't know what to do.

Class ended and Katara hurried to put away her stuff, saying a quick prayer as she did. She walked to the front of the classroom and waited for her professor to notice her. Dr. Montgomery looked up and perked up immediately, "Katara, just the person I wanted to see. I have good news for you" she told the younger girl.

Katara stood up straighter, eager to hear what the older woman had to say. "The Reagan UCLA Medical Center is accepted a new batch of Interns. I used to work there myself in the birth center. I put in a good word for you. That gets you the chance to apply but it'll take way more then that to get yourself a spot. It's one of the best teaching hospitals in the state and a good place to start your career. But you need to take it from here" she smiled, handing her the application.

Katara smiled bright, taking the thick stack of papers from her, "Thank you so much, I won't let you down!" she practically ran out of the room, glowing as he went.

Dr. Montgomery smiled, watching after her. She remembered when that was her, so excited to begin her career. Katara reminded her of her younger self, bright eyed and bushy tailed about medicine. She smiled and returned to her stack of papers.

Katara raced home, ecstatic and couldn't wait to write to Zuko about the application. She was kick starting her career and it brought her one step closer to being an actual doctor. She was one step behind having not yet graduate but if she was given the chance, she knew she would be able to handle it. She graduated in a few weeks anyways. She had so much to do but not a lot of time to do it.

She bust open the front door, "Sokka!" she yelled throughout her apartment. He came out of his room, looking disgruntled. "What are you yelling about?" he asked her, having clearly just woken up from a nap. "I got an application to UCLA Med! I could intern there! They're one of the best! And I have a shot!" she yelled, practically jumping up and down. Sokka's eyes widened, "That's awesome sis!" he said, giving her a high five and a hug, "I'm so proud of you. Just wait until Dad finds out, he's going to be so excited for you"

"I have to go write to Zuko!" she said, racing into her room to go write a letter. But first she plopped on her bed, holding the application to her chest and saying a quick prayer in her head, praying that this all works out for the best and that she would get the shot she deserves.

The Chief sat at his desk, indicating for Zuko to sit across from him. Zuko sat down, "What is it sir?" he asked him. The Chief reached for his phone and pushed it towards the edge of his desk. After a moment's pause, he said, "Go on… Take it" he told him.

Zuko knew what this meant, "Thank you sir!" he said, grabbing the phone. The Chief stood, "Only one call now boy… We can't make the rest of the men too jealous" he said chuckling. He moved towards the door but stopped once again, "One day boy… You might just have my job" he said smiling before leaving his office.

Zuko looked at the phone and went to dial a number. He wanted desperately to talk to Katara but would his Uncle be hurt if he called her first? But before he knew it, his fingers were dialing Katara's number and hoping desperately that she would answer.

Katara's eyes opened when she heard the sound of her phone going off. She looked at the number, seeing one she did not recognize and answered it, "Hello?"

"Katara?"

She sat up straight in shock, "Zuko?!" she exclaimed in shock. Zuko chuckled, "It's me…" he told her, his voice cracking just a little.

Tears welled up in her eyes, "I'm so in shock… What's happened? Are you alright?" she asked him. "I'm fine… It's just a little gift from the Chief is all" he told her. She smiled wide, laughing to herself, "I was just about to call you, my professor got me an application to one of the greatest teaching schools in the state. I have a shot"

Zuko smiled to himself, "I'm so proud of you… I knew you could do it. You are so much better then the diner with Stu" he laughed slightly.

Katara began to cry, "I miss you… I think about you every day…" she told him. "I know… And I miss you more then words can say… We only have 320 more days left" he said, trying to make her smile.

She did smile to herself a little bit, "320 days too many…" she told him. Zuko chuckled, "320 days too many…"

Zuko looked up when he heard the door open and the Chief walk in. The Chief nodded, indicting his time was up. "I have to go Katara…" he told her. He heard her cry a little bit harder, "I don't want you to…" she told him. His face fell a little, hearing her cry made his heart break, "I know… But I'll be home before you know it… I love you…"

Katara sniffed, "I love you too… Good"

But he cut her off, "No… Don't say goodbye… I'll see you soon…" he told her. She smiled, "I'll see you soon"

Zuko hung up, but a part of his heart broke as he did so. "Feeling a little bit better?" the Chief asked him. Zuko smiled sadly, "I think so… But I'm not sure if hearing her voice made me miss her more or less…" he confessed. The Chief clapped him on the back, "We're all the same here boy… We all have people we miss… So, don't be afraid to reach out because we're all in the same boat"

Zuko nodded, "Thank you sir" he said, before saluting him and leaving his office, thinking of Katara and what she might be thinking right now.

 **Ta-Daa! A little bit of a happy chapter! After this, this is when the chapters begin to speed up in time and the time jumps becoming a little bit more significant. I wanted to make sure the big moments are captured while not doing every single day because that would become repetitive very quickly. So, thank you guys for reading! Onto the reviews!**

jacpin2002: Thank you for reading!

eliana808: Thank you very much for your review! I'm so happy you brought these things to my attention. Zuko is in the Army and I have tried my best with the little bit of knowledge I have to come across the best way I can possible and do it justice. I used Chief as more like a nickname then so much a rank. I wanted him to come across as an authority figure but also a ally to Zuko, as I tried to show in this chapter. But I didn't know about the sir ma'am thing so I will try to keep that mind in further chapters! Again thank you for your review and I hope I answered some of your questions!

stordec23: Thank you for reading! Your reviews always bring a smile to my face!

That's it for the reviews! Until next time!


	16. 16: Any news yet?

**Hello everyone! Welcome to chapter 16 of Long Lost Home! I really hope you guys enjoyed that last chapter. It was a lot of fun to write and was a big milestone in these two character's time apart. And that is kinda my process in this separation of the characters in this series. But here we are in the next chapter! As always, I do not own Avatar or its characters, but the story is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 16: Any news yet?**

"Any news yet?"

Katara shook her head sadly, letting out a breath as she did so. Sokka smiled apologetically for her, "I'll take care of your rent this month so you can have more time…" he told her. Katara shook her head, "You don't have to do that… You did that last week" she told him. But he insisted, "I want to… It'll give you more time to wait out this internship" he told her. Katara sighed, "But you don't have much more money then I do…" she told him. "I have enough" he told her, before walking away so she couldn't argue anymore.

It had been 3 weeks since she had gotten the application from Dr. Montgomery. She took a week to fill out the 12 pages of questions and mailed it in as soon as she finished. Now two weeks had gone by and she hadn't received a letter, or a call, or an email. Nothing.

She had begun to start losing hope. Maybe they just wouldn't accept a student that hadn't graduated yet. Her grades were in tip top shape. She ticked off all of the boxes, except that she hadn't received her diploma. Maybe she would just get a job at the supermarket until then and try again next time the internship came around. Maybe then she would get in.

Katara looked at the picture of Zuko on her desk. He was in uniform and he was hugging her in the airport. Uncle had taken it and surprised her with it when she told him about the application. Even though the picture was so sad, she still loved every bit of it and looked at it every day.

It had been 3 weeks since she had talked to him last and she didn't know whether it made her feel better or worse. The thought of missing him any more then she already did seemed impossible. But after hearing his voice, her heart ached, wishing she could hear it again.

She looked back at her paper, trying her best to focus on it, but struggling to figure out what exactly to say. She took a deep breath, and began to type before her phone rang.

Katara picked it up, "Hello?" she said, not recognizing the number.

"Hello Katara. This is the Chief of Surgery at the Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Institute. How are you?"

Her breath hitched and she found all coherent thoughts leaving her brain. "I'm good sir, thank you for asking. How are you?" she asked him out of politeness but her heart was racing a million miles a minute.

"I'm well, thank you. I've looked at your application and I was hoping for the possibility to schedule an interview"

It was if the clouds opened up and choir began to sing. "Yes sir, that would be fantastic" she said, trying not to sound too excited.

"Does Tuesday or Wednesday work better for you?"

"Tuesday would be perfect. Thank you sir" she told him, silently cheering and dancing in her room. She heard him chuckle slightly over the line, "My pleasure. See you Tuesday" he told her.

Katara repeated his sentiments and said goodbye before hanging up and cheering out of delight. Sokka came into the room, hearing his sisters yell from across the apartment. "What's wrong? Are you dying?" he asked her.

"I got an interview!" she yelled. Sokka gasped and started cheering along with her, "Oh my god! Dad is going to be so excited!"

She laughed and felt a tear of joy roll down her cheek. This was her chance. This was her chance to make something of herself and of her career.

Zuko sat at his desk flicking through a book that he had absolutely no interest in reading. He didn't have interest in doing much of anything. He had a job to do here but that job became a lot harder since he had met Katara. She was going through things he couldn't be with her for. She was making experiences with his family that he wouldn't get to experience.

He sighed, running his fingers over his head, when he heard a knock at his door. Jet walked in, not bothering waiting to be invited, "The guys are about to play ball at the square, you in?" he asked him.

Zuko thought for a moment then nodded, needing something to get him out of his funk. He stood, following him out to the square. A bunch of the guys were already there forming teams for the game. He never considered himself that good at basketball but everyone liked having them on their team since he was tall and could overtop of people.

The game got going and Zuko felt himself slowly paying more attention to the game and the fun he was having, rather then the sound of Katara's voice over the phone. Jet passed him the ball and he shot from the 3 point line. The ball slid around the rim before dropping in. But he didn't feel a clap on his back from his teammates or any sighs of frustration from the opposite team.

Instead he heard a loud siren. They all looked around, wondering where it was coming from and why it was going off. None of them had heard the siren before.

Suddenly, Rocky came running over, "Get your gear now!" he yelled, directing orders. He was clearly frazzled, and the only one who knew what this meant. They all ran to their barracks to grab their things, but still utterly confused on what was happening.

"Rocky! What's going on?" Zuko yelled after him. Rocky turned to him, "That's the emergency siren! The barrack is under attack" he yelled once more before turning back and running towards his room.

This caused everyone to run with much more haste then before. Rocky had been there longer then any of them had so he must have heard the siren before. And judging by his reaction, it hadn't ended well.

 **Dun DUN DUUNNN! I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! There's some happiness and some suspenseful! You'll see what happens next time! Onto the reviews!**

 **stordec23: Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed!**

 **jacpin2002: Thank you! Communication is always important! They needed some sort of communication or else their relationship would just suffer! Thanks for the review!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


	17. 17: Everybody, take cover!

**Hello everyone! Welcome back to chapter 17 of Long Lost Home! I know I haven't been around for awhile but I'm back after my computer giving out on me and almost losing everything I'd written! So here we go! As always, I do not own Avatar but this story is my own. Onto the story!**

 **All is fair in love and war. Zuko knew what he needed. But he didn't know he needed her.**

 **Chapter 17: Everybody, take cover!**

"Everybody, take cover!" Rocky yelled.

They heard a loud bang and the ground began to shake. Everyone ran to their positions once the ground stood still. Was this just air fire or were soldiers on the ground as well? Nobody knew but they all prepared for the worst.

Zuko heard bullets spraying but had no idea where they were aimed. He wasn't sure if soldiers were shooting for the helicopters in the sky or if an enemy was standing right next to him. He looked around, trying to figure out where to shoot, what to shoot even. It was like everything became disoriented.

He heard a voice call out to him. He looked everywhere trying to place it, until his eyes rested on Chief and everything came back into focus.

"Son! They're at us from all sides! You need to hold out until we have back up arrive! Do you understand me?" he yelled in Zuko's face over the gunfire. "Sir yes sir!" Zuko yelled back, turning around to shoot at the approaching enemies. His entire focus was on his task.

They had been taught about these situations long ago.

 _They all sat in rows of desks. Chief walked slowly back and forth at the front of the room, "You all don't know each other yet…_ _But one day, the man next to you will be the reason you get to go home to your family"_

 _Chief stopped at the center of the room, "There may come a day where you are surrounded on all sides… Outnumbered… And these men next to you will be your only lifeline… You never know how far away a bullet is until it's in your skull"_

How right he was.

"Hey!" Jet yelled, moving next to him. Zuko barely looked away from the barrel of his gun, "Hey man…" he said to his friend. Jet began to speak, "If I don't make it out of here…"

"Don't say that man. We will make it out of here" Zuko said, matter of factly. But Jet shook his head a little, "But if I don't… tell my family I love them. And I love you man"

Zuko sighed, not wanting to think the way his friend's brain was headed, "I love you too man. But let's focus on getting the fuck out of here… Stick with me…"

He focused all the rest of his attention on what was in front of him, trying to ignore her voice in his head.

"Katara Maklak"

She looked up and stood, smoothing over her skirt, following the receptionist into the back room. Her heart was thudding out of her chest, but she tried to control her breaths. She couldn't let her nerves get the best of her.

An older man turned at the sound of the door opening. He looked to be in his mid-60s and peered back at her over top of his spectacles. "Ahh Dr Maklak" he said when she walked through the door. She reached over the desk and took his hand, "Dr Stevens, It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person"

"As it is with you, please sit. We have quite a bit to go over. How are you feeling?" Stevens asked. She shrugged slightly, smiling, "I'm doing alright, how are you sir?" she asked him , politely. "Oh fine thank you" he responded, looking over her resume. "Let's see here…" he looked over the paper for another few seconds before setting it down on the desk and folding his hands over them, "You have pretty impressive letters of recommendation here Dr Maklak…"

"Thank you sir…" she responded, trying to keep her cool. Dr Stevens then leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin, "I just wonder why Dr Montgomery has so much faith in you… And I wonder how you compare to my other residents here"

Katara nodded slightly, seeing this coming, "I suppose you're wondering why she suggested me when I haven't even received my degree yet…" she inferred. He then nodded, "I suppose I am wondering that… Why should I pick you over somebody who has their degree?"

"I respect that sir. I know how high of an establishment you run here. And even though I haven't graduated yet, it does not make me incompetent" Katara began but he cut her off, "But comparatively to a graduated doctor, you, by technicality, are. Technically you have not even earned the term doctor, so even that term is one of endearment"

Katara gaped for a moment, trying to come up with words to say. "Your resume is inferior in comparison… So why should I hire you?"

She cleared her throat and began to speak slightly louder, "Well sir… I have always had a passion for learning… And that has gotten me very far in this career so far. My skill may not be up to par with someone who is already out of med school but my passion for learning will take me a lot farther in this career then anybody who only wishes to succeed and not learn throughout the process. I inspire to succeed and will get there one way or another, even if my avenue isn't this hospital"

She sat tall and slightly out of breath, looking back at the older man. He nodded slightly, "That'll be enough for today, thank you. My receptionist will show you out"

Katara sat for a minute simply speechless, before she stood, "With all due respect sir, I admire this hospital and would love to be a part of this company… But I will succeed with or without this hospital, because I will work 10x harder then most of your staff currently… Thank you for your time"

With that, she left the room, with all the dignity she could have.

 **Ta-Daa! That is the end of this chapter! PS Who has heard about the Avatar Netflix Series? I'm so excited! Onto the reviews!**

 **jacpin2002: Thank you for your review! Keep reading!**

 **stordec23: You'll find that out more coming soon! Thank you!**

 **Guest: Sorry for the length between updates! But here it is!**

 **amaranthineefflorescence: Thank you so much for reading!**

 **That's it for the reviews! Until next time!**


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